St. Paul Street Evangelization

[Brother Adam]

No.  You got exactly what I was saying.  I only read one of the articles but it just seemed to all go back to abortion.  Like the guy who founded this made some statement about how abortion is a symptom not a cause if the cultural collapse, in his view, but then everything seemed to go back to abortion or gay marriage.

 

What article?

[Brother Adam]

I have friends that are involved in SPSE, they literally go out into the streets of Portland with their blanket and rosaries and pamphlets and answer all kinds of questions about God and Catholicism.   The difference is that they're totally non-confrontational.  At least in Portland, it's pretty common to see people set up shop somewhere to tell people about their "cause."  Sidewalk counselors come off with a "negative" message ("please don't get an abortion"), whereas SPSE people have a "positive" message ("come talk to me about God stuff! It's amesome!"). 

I think it's a similar idea, but with SPSE the goal is less about confronting people and telling them they're wrong and more about clearing up misconceptions about Catholicism and having conversations about the faith with people on their own terms. 

 

I could be wrong, but at least that's how the organization has seemed to me. 

 

That is correct. You can read stories from our teams here: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicStreetEvangelization

 

Our teams offer people rosaries, miraculous medals, CDs, and tracts on the faith (which have the imprimatur), and are avalable to talk about the faith, pray for and with people, and connect people with the Catholic Church. As you said, it is a non-confrontational approach. We are not there to judge, stand on soapboxes, or tell people they are going to hell. We are simply bringing the faith outside the Church building and to the public square. Very little of what we do is apologetics, and while it has prolife implications (obviously we promote a Catholic worldview), we are there to share the Gospel. Typically, if someone comes up to us and wants to talk we 1) Offer them a rosary; 2) ask them if they are Catholic; 3) and ask them if they have any prayer requests.
 

[Chiquitunga]

this is so awesome!! I hope these groups grow! this is kind of similar to Nightfever, but during the day :) We just had our first one in Chicago. an article on it from the UK, http://www.aleteia.org/en/religion/article/night-fever-storms-soho-3772002

[4588686]

It's all abortion and contraceptives.  To hell with that.  I'll take the church seriously again when it starts railing against the wealthy and th comfortable.  Until then, to hell with the platitudes to scared and pregnant young women. Fraancis is trying to do that but Taliban caucus of the Church will stifle him, I bet[/drunk thoughts]

[Chiquitunga]

it's bringing people to Jesus in the Eucharist, center of the Catholic faith "source and summit of the Christian life" greatest gift of God to mankind 

[Brother Adam]

It's all abortion and contraceptives.  To hell with that.  I'll take the church seriously again when it starts railing against the wealthy and th comfortable.  Until then, to hell with the platitudes to scared and pregnant young women. Fraancis is trying to do that but Taliban caucus of the Church will stifle him, I bet[/drunk thoughts]

 

Fun with superlatives much? You forgot to mention Hitler. You always have to mention Hitler when going on an ignorant rant like that. Francis will never advocate a Marxist revolution.

[Brother Adam]

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-analyst-pope-distanced-himself-from-liberation-theology/

[4588686]

Fun with superlatives much? You forgot to mention Hitler. You always have to mention Hitler when going on an ignorant rant like that. Francis will never advocate a Marxist revolution.

 

There were no superlatives in my comments.  

[4588686]

Nor did I advocate a Marxist revolution.  I said rail against the rich and comfortable.  If that strikes you as somehow beyond the pale then maybe you should read the parts of the Bible that don't pertain to gay people (aka most of the Bible)

[4588686]

Hey I'm sober now.  Sweet.

[4588686]

Amos 6

King James Version (KJV)

6 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

 

2 Pass ye unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye to Hamath the great: then go down to Gath of the Philistines: be they better than these kingdoms? or their border greater than your border?

 

3 Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;

 

4 That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

 

5 That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David;

 

6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

 

7 Therefore now shall they go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of them that stretched themselves shall be removed.

 

8 The Lord God hath sworn by himself, saith the Lord the God of hosts, I abhor the excellency of Jacob, and hate his palaces: therefore will I deliver up the city with all that is therein.

 

9 And it shall come to pass, if there remain ten men in one house, that they shall die.

 

10 And a man's uncle shall take him up, and he that burneth him, to bring out the bones out of the house, and shall say unto him that is by the sides of the house, Is there yet any with thee? and he shall say, No. Then shall he say, Hold thy tongue: for we may not make mention of the name of the Lord.

 

11 For, behold, the Lord commandeth, and he will smite the great house with breaches, and the little house with clefts.

 

12 Shall horses run upon the rock? will one plow there with oxen? for ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into hemlock:

 

13 Ye which rejoice in a thing of nought, which say, Have we not taken to us horns by our own strength?

 

14 But, behold, I will raise up against you a nation, O house of Israel, saith the Lord the God of hosts; and they shall afflict you from the entering in of Hemath unto the river of the wilderness.

 

[Seven77]

Hasan, here is the thing:

 

Being wealthy is not necessarily a sin in and of itself. In that passage from Amos, the wealthy are not being reprimanded for being wealthy. They are being reprimanded for their self-centeredness in being caught up with their wealth and for ignoring the plight of the poor and afflicted. It's the same thing going on in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, in the New Testament. The greed, avarice, and ignoring one's fellow man is the sin. The Church does indeed have much to say about that, Pope Francis is just reiterating. Yes, we should be very concerned about the plight of the fellow brothers and sisters---we are commanded to assist them in their need in whatever way we can. By the same token, we are to assist our unborn brothers and sisters. We need to look out for the material/temporal welfare as well as the spiritual/eternal welfare of our brothers and sisters. This is what the Church teaches.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Seven77

[4588686]

 

Hasan, here is the thing:

 

Being wealthy is not necessarily a sin in and of itself. In that passage from Amos, the wealthy are not being reprimanded for being wealthy. They are being reprimanded for their self-centeredness in being caught up with their wealth and for ignoring the plight of the poor and afflicted. It's the same thing going on in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, in the New Testament. The greed, avarice, and ignoring one's fellow man is the sin. The Church does indeed have much to say about that, Pope Francis is just reiterating. Yes, we should be very concerned about the plight of the fellow brothers and sisters---we are commanded to assist them in their need in whatever way we can. By the same token, we are to assist our unborn brothers and sisters. We need to look out for the material/temporal welfare as well as the spiritual/eternal welfare of our brothers and sisters. This is what the Church teaches.

 

 

That is what is happening now.  It's not conspiratorial thinking.  That is pretty straightforward history and social science.  If you don't think that the wealthy are currently enriching themselves at the expense of the poor then you just are not paying attention.  But do we see real passion in the Church leaders to confront that?  Nope.  The Bishops and Cardinals are too busy trying to get the wealthy to donate to the annual Bishops annual appeal or attending fancy white tie events (Cardinal Dolan with Colbert).  Of course when an ignorant heathen like myself points out that the Church has become disgustingly comfortable with the wealthy and the powerful then I'm advocating Marxist revolution.  Yuck.  

[4588686]

Soup kitchens are nice.  Very un-controversial.  No need to ask too many about why more families are needing soup kitchens.  The food stamp program got slashed recently.  If the Church hierarchy showed half the outrage over the political class and the plutocrats slashing vital aid to the some of the most vulnerable populations in the country as they did about flooping condoms is that flooping HHS mandate I'd go confess my sins right now.  I'm serious.  Maybe Pope Francis will change that.  I doubt it.  But I have a little hope.  I suspect that that the pathetic culture warrior wing of the Church will gum up whatever good he tries to do.

Edited November 13, 2013 by Hasan

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

Hasan, these guys may run into some wealthy people, perhaps not mega rich but wealthy though you never know, perhaps the thing with wealthy people is you have to hook them very quickly with something that tickles them pink or they won't waste there time because i'm told time is money to wealthy people. Or perhaps it is like whale hunting and you need a harpoon to fire at them. <shrugs> i don't know but i do know that the rich need to be saved also. But in that also so do the people that use contraception, which corrupts the most natural thing most men and women are called to do, and many other people need saving too. I to hope these guys are not biased as to what they talk about, i also hope they also can listen and i also hope there intention is to love others which is a relationship and not sole to convert.